blushing

American  

[bluhsh-ing] / ˈblʌʃ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. reddening, as from embarrassment or self-consciousness.

   All eyes were on the blushing bride—the star of the evening!

   At the mayor’s request, they serenaded the blushing councilor with a rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

2. feeling or showing embarrassment or self-consciousness.

   The author plows ahead with a disarmingly blushing work about trying to embrace her queer identity, her marriage, and motherhood simultaneously.

3. rosy, as the sky, flowers, etc..

   This chocolate Valentine cake is delicious—and the blushing raspberry frosting is the perfect pink.

---

Other Word Forms

• blushingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of blushing

First recorded in 1560–70; blush ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

In “Ready or Not,” Weaving’s blushing bride-to-be, Grace, discovers that she’s marrying into a family of devil-worshippers who sold their souls for eternal wealth, and they must sacrifice her to keep the money rolling in.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

Fans have been delighting in his expressive range, with his wide eyes, blushing cheeks and gaping jaw regularly stealing the show, and memes spreading across social media in tribute.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

If, however, at lunch in a restaurant near his Beverly Hills boutique during one of his occasional visits, a screen idol stopped by his table, he melted into schoolboy smiles and blushing laughter.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025

“If we give $20,000 to charity, and get half a million followers, I’ll conduct a reveal,” he told me, laughing and blushing.

From Slate • Dec. 17, 2024

Ivy just shrugged and smiled so she wouldn’t blush, but she ended up blushing anyway.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake